Question to the Home Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government to what extent they have implemented the recommendations made by the independent review by Wendy Williams, Windrush Lessons Learned Review, published in March 2020; and whether they plan to provide an update on implementation.

This Government is committed to righting the wrongs of the Home Office Windrush Scandal. Our focus is very much on delivering real change for those impacted by Windrush. We have delivered on our manifesto commitment by appointing Rev Clive Foster as the independent Windrush Commissioner, who has undertaken significant engagement with the Windrush generation and key stakeholders, and is acting as a trusted voice for the Windrush community.

The Windrush Unit has been reestablished and is in the final stages of reviewing all 30 recommendations of the Windrush Lessons Learned Review. We have also worked with the Windrush Commissioner to make improvements to the Compensation Scheme.

The causes of the Home Office Windrush Scandal and the Home Office’s response thereafter have been the subject to several investigations and inquiries by a range of public bodies including extensive parliamentary scrutiny.

Alongside the independent Windrush Lessons Learned Review and the Historical Roots of the Windrush Scandal research report, both commissioned by the Home Office and published, parliamentary committees including the Home Affairs Select Committee and the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Human Rights have conducted their own investigations. Further public bodies such as the National Audit Office and the Equality and Human Rights Commission have published their findings and recommendations into the scandal. These reports have approached the issues from different perspectives, reflecting the specialisms of the different bodies.

Given that there have been numerous reviews we do not believe a public inquiry would add to the scrutiny and understanding of the Home Office Windrush Scandal, rather it would divert critical resources away from ensuring meaningful change is achieved.

We will continue to work to rebuild trust with the Windrush generation, and ensure that justice is delivered.